INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SURGERY

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Food and Water:  
Withhold food from surgery patients after 9 p.m. the night before surgery, and do not give any food the morning of surgery. You may give them a small amount of water that morning.

If the Animal is 3 - 6 Months of Age:
No dogs or cats admitted for surgery under 3 months of age (the age at which a rabies vaccination will "take").  Puppies and kittens between 3 and 6 months should be given half their usual amount of food the morning of their surgery.  There is no need to pull their food the night before surgery.

If the Animal Is in Heat:
Animals can be spayed when they are in heat. There is no additional cost.

Unsafe Flea Prevention:
Do not apply any over-the-counter flea products to patients 2 weeks before the day of surgery.  This includes dips, powders, flea collars, or topical ointments from grocery stores or feed stores.  Use of these products can be resumed anytime after surgery.

Safe Flea Prevention:
Products like Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution are safe to apply before and after surgery. 

Heartworm Prevention:
Heartworm prevention should be administered as normal, regardless of the surgery date.

Nursing Animals:
Be sure that lactating animals do not nurse for at least 2 weeks before the day of their surgery. Their puppies and kittens should be between 6 and 8 weeks of age and eating and drinking on their own, prior to their mother's surgery.
 
Restraining Your Animal:
Upon arrival, all dogs and cats must be restrained by a leash or in a carrier.  Cats must be in a carrier but may be contained in a pillow case.

POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

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Your dog or cat has undergone general anesthesia and surgical sterilization.  For the safety and well-being of you and your animal, please follow these post-operative instructions carefully.

Dogs and cats must be kept indoors after surgery for the next 5 to 7 days.  This will enable you to carefully monitor recovery and will prevent complications and possible death from exposure to outdoor temperature extremes.

As when any anesthesia is used, stomach upset can occur.  To avoid stomach upset, we recommend that you restrict the amount of food and water your dog or cat has access to during the first 3 hours at home after surgery.  You can provide one or two ice cubes to lick or chew on during this time.  You can offer a small amount of food and water after three hours and gradually increase the amounts over the next 24 hours.

Restrict your animal’s activity for the next 7 days.  Do not allow running or jumping.

Do not allow your animal to lick / chew at the incision site.  If licking or chewing becomes a problem, an E-collar can be used to prevent the animal from being able to reach the incision.    E-collars can be purchased here at Connie Clinic - Surgery / Wellness and at most pet stores.

You should check the incision at least twice daily until healed.  We strongly recommend a free follow-up exam here at Connie Clinic - Surgery / Wellness.  A small amount of blood seepage is normal immediately after surgery.  Should you notice any continued drainage or swelling, contact the clinic or after-hour emergency telephone number listed below.

If the incision should become dirty, gently clean the area with a cotton ball and luke warm water.

You must not allow your dog or cat to get wet for at least 7 days after surgery.  This means no bathing, swimming or rainy weather exposure for at least one week after surgery.

If the surgery required the use of sutures, the sutures are dissolvable and should not require removal.  Because male cat neuters do not require the use of sutures, we advise using shredded newspaper instead of litter in your cat’s litter box for 7 days after surgery to prevent dust particles from irritating the incision site.

DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN OR TYLENOL TO DOGS AND CATS FOR PAIN RELIEF UNLESS SPECIFICALLY PRESCRIBED BY YOUR VETERINARIAN.  TYLENOL IS TOXIC TO ANIMALS AND ASPIRIN CAN BE DEADLY AFTER SURGERY. Your animal was given pain medication at the time of surgery. Additional pain medication was sent home with you today with instructions.

If you have any additional questions about your animal’s condition after surgery, please call:

Clinic: 979-277-0400 or 979-277-0401